Over the Hill
by scooterwoof
Summary: Near's tired of being beaten up by Mello, but he's lost faith in himself to do anything but schoolwork. Will he ever be able to overcome Mello? Oneshot. Pairing at the end -secret!- . Nothing to do with growing older or death xD. Rated for language.


**A/N:** Long oneshot, yes, yes. It took me a few months to write this cuz I was lazy, but I wanted to finish this by Near's birthday. And here it is~ I hope you enjoy this!

Rated for language and such.

Death Note © Ohba and Obata

* * *

Rain pelted the windows and thunder shook the building. Children pressed frowning faces against glass windows in various rooms. Their breath fogged the glass as they peered at the dark gray clouds with great disapproval. Their day of fun was ruined.

Near was bothered by none of this. He preferred to stay inside anyways. The only downside was having a number of more kids in the common room. But that problem could easily be solved. Instead, he played in his room alone. Everyone was better off this way. No one was in Near's way and Near was in no one else's way.

Some, however, went _out_ of their way to get _in_ Near's way.

Mello kicked Near's door open, a devilish smirk on his face. He strutted his way over to the albino, who hadn't so much as blinked when he heard the door open. A certain redhead was following behind the hot-headed blond. Both grinned as they kneeled on opposite sides of Near.

"Hey Near," Mello said, grinning mischievously.

"'Sup Near?" Matt echoed, also grinning mischievously.

Near didn't want to deal with these two. It was a part of his every day life, but it was certainly a part with which he would rather not have to tolerate. However, the reasons for his displeasure weren't the reasons one would expect. Then again, not many people could understand Near's reasoning anyways, so why would this matter be any different?

"Hello, Mello. Hello, Matt," Near greeted.

In response to his greeting, Mello shoved Near. It wasn't a hard shove, not enough to make him lose his balance, anyways. Then Matt poked his cheek none too gently.

Though he knew the answer to the question, Near decided to humor Matt and Mello because he knew they loved to explain it. So he asked, "May I ask the reason for you two to grace me with your company?"

Both Matt and Mello snickered and exchanged evil glances.

"It's raining outside," Mello pretended to sulk, scowling and even tracing an invisible tear running down his cheek.

"That makes today Mess With Near day!" Matt completed the reasoning.

"Oh, joy," Near said, his voice dripping with venomous sarcasm. There was really no way to overstate his displeasure.

With all the explanations out of the way, Matt and Mello moved onto the business portion of the meeting. They began pinching his shoulders and poking his cheeks. Each assault got progressively worse and hurt more than the last. Soon they were punching him in the face, and scratching at his neck. Of course, this wouldn't be any way to pick on Near if Mello didn't insult him while doing it. Matt always agreed and echoed what Mello said, which made every insult twice as cruel.

Near didn't bother fighting back. He'd been beaten up so many times by Mello that he knew he had no chance. In addition to that, the blond had been insulting Near for longer than he had been attacking him physically. At this point, Near agreed with every bad thing that Mello said about him, and not just because Mello forced him to agree. He'd been insulted for so long that in his heart of hearts, Near truly believed he was just a homely, introverted, big-headed, cocky, boring piece of shit.

Mello pushed Near into the wall, and began punching him everywhere that he could; in the face, in the chest, in the stomach. Matt simply laughed at their cruel way of "playing" with Near, who took it silently.

Their merriment died down a bit when they heard the door open.

Both attackers looked immediately towards the door. Mello held Near's face against the wall, rubbing his cheek against the hard surface. Even if Near had wanted to look at who opened the door, he wouldn't have been able to.

Near heard a shriek that sounded like Linda's.

"Matt, Mello, what are you doing to poor Near?!" she demanded.

Matt and Mello looked at each other, shrugged and grinned. Their joy was back.

"Oh, we're just beating the shit out of him is all," Matt replied coolly.

"Well, I'm gonna go tell Roger on you guys!" Linda decided, crossing her arms neatly over her chest.

Mello and Matt glared at her.

"Matt, get that bitch and make sure she doesn't even _dream_ of squealing on us!" Mello ordered, taking care to spit on Near while doing so.

"Roger, dodger," Matt replied wickedly. He took a few menacing steps towards Linda before she screamed and backed up against the wall on the other side of the hall. "Where ya think you're going, you prissy little _bitch_!?" he said before letting out a cackle.

"Stop," Near uttered, breathless. "Linda, don't tell Roger about this, it will only get you hurt."

"But Near-!" Linda protested.

Mello laughed like a madman. "See, Linda? Near knows his place, just like he knows every other _fucking_ little thing!" Mello pressed Near's head even harder into the wall. "Matt, back off of her, 'kay? And Linda, toots, we'll just finish up here and be on our way. Everybody's happy."

Matt chuckled as he joined Mello in beating the rest of the crap out of Near. They punched their hardest this time, though, trying to leave a memorable impression on Near, and maybe on Linda, too.

Mello grabbed Near gruffly by the hair, which caused the albino to let out and accidental yelp. The end to this beating was coming. In fact, it was almost there and Near just had to survive the home stretch. Every beating always ended the exact same way, so it was easy to tell when his attack was over and done with.

The blond yanked Near's head upwards, and then slammed his face against the window. He grinned all the while. "See L's Hill over there, fudgewad?" he asked. L's Hill was a gigantic hill on the side of Wammy's Orphanage. It could be seen from any window and from anywhere outside on the Wammy property. The choco-monster yanked at Near's hair until he responded with a 'yes.' "Well, if you ever wanna prove you're not such a pansy, all you have to do is climb all the way to the top on a sunny day before noon. If you do that, I promise not to beat the shit out of you anymore, 'kay? Catch ya later, Near!" Mello sneered. He let go of Near's hair and then exited the room, Matt following close behind.

Linda watched the two as they went down the hall. Once they were out of sight, she turned back to Near. She quickly made her way over to the suffering genius who was currently bringing himself up into a sitting position.

"Near, why do you let them beat you up like that?" Linda asked as she got to her knees and sat back on her feet in front of Near.

Near didn't reply. To Near, Linda was annoying half of the time, and okay the other half. Today she was a little annoying, but more okay than a usually annoying Linda.

She began gently wiping his cheeks to get rid of some of the paint from the wall that had accumulated there. "You know, I think about it sometimes, and I think I understand why you let them beat you up."

"Oh, really?" Near asked, rather rudely. He didn't comment on or even acknowledge the fact that she was cleaning him up. He didn't actually care what she might have come up with because he doubted she'd be anywhere close to the answer. Not many people, if any, could read Near, so it was highly unlikely that someone such as _Linda_ would be able to understand the workings of his brain.

"I think that, well, after being insulted and beaten for so many years, you've actually started believing all the things Mello says. So that's why you don't stand up for yourself. You think Mello hurting you is your punishment," Linda answered sullenly, straightening his shirt.

"Did you ever perhaps think that he is correct? Realistically, the only good thing about me is my vast intellect, however I can't even rejoice about that one thing. I am not complaining, because I understand completely, but this genius I have only drives people away." Near was mildly irked that Linda had guessed it spot on, though he didn't ever show his displeasure on his face.

"Oh, Near! I can't believe you've actually started to believe Mello!" Linda cried, as she yanked on Near's arm, pulling him to his feet. She tugged at his arm as she led him down one of the long, decorated halls and towards the bathrooms.

Near didn't reply, but let himself be led to the lavatories. He didn't really care about what she did to him. Whatever she was up to, Near knew it wasn't anywhere close to being as painful or cruel as the things Mello did.

When they got into one of the bathrooms, Linda guided Near to sit on the closed toilet seat lid. She took a hand towel from the sterling silver rack and wet it in the sink. Then she tenderly dabbed at Near's cheeks, forehead, and chin, eradicating the remaining dirt, powder, and even some blood. Linda couldn't tell whether the blood on Near's face was actually his, or blood from Mello or Matt's knuckles when they beat him senseless. She decided she would rather not think about it.

"Near, you, of all people, should know that Mello just hates you 'cause you're better than him in school. He picks on you because he's so insecure and unhappy with being in second place that he has to find a way to surpass you… And I guess he has found a way, after all…" Then, to herself, Linda mumbled, "Only a jerk like Mello would go after someone's self-esteem."

Near was utterly unfazed by Linda's words, and didn't reply.

"You should know, Near, that not a single person in this entire world is worthless. Especially not you."

"Well, while I don't agree with your viewpoints, I thank you for believing in me, though there's no point in believing in someone as worthless as me," Near replied.

Linda sighed and placed the wet towel in his hand for him to finish the job with. "It's not enough for me to believe in you. You have to believe in yourself if you ever want any self-respect or respect from anyone else."

Near didn't respond as Linda left. He stared down at the towel in his hand. He had a lot to consider, though he didn't quite understand why. Linda's words had never meant much to him before. If Near hadn't known much about Linda, then perhaps the words might've meant something. But the fact that he _did_ know about Linda's huge crush on him, which undoubtedly meant she believed in him, made her words seem redundant.

A new theory presented itself to Near as he continued to cleanse his face with the wet towel. It could have been the fact that she had never admitted that she had cared about Near out loud. After all, Linda never really said anything about what she thought about Near, or even what she thought at all. Near was mostly glad for that, but he did admit that it made him feel a little better in his skin knowing there was someone who didn't dislike him.

There was also the fact that her actions backed up her words. She _had_ straightened up his attire and washed his face for the most part. Near didn't really want to continue thinking about Linda having a crush on him, or to what extent, so he simply decided to focus on something more important.

Near placed the towel in the white clothing hamper next to the door as he exited the bathroom. He went to his bed after that, his mind filled with turmoil. He lay on his bed with the lights off and the door closed for hours. He was simply waiting for night to fall. And when it did, it was pitch black. Before he fell asleep, though, he decided that he would definitely visit L's Hill on the next sunny day.

--

The next morning, Near opened his eyes to be blinded by golden sunlight. He groaned mentally and got up. He may have told himself that he would travel up L's Hill the next sunny day available, but he did so with the anticipation that it would rain for a few days. Of _course_ things didn't happen in Near's pleasure. Some divinity, whether it be God or Santa Clause, really did not like Near.

Near looked expectantly at the digital clock on his nightstand. Maybe he had gotten lucky and slept until noon. The green numbers read 9:30 am. Near sighed softly and looked down at his feet, disappointed.

It was summer. That meant no classes until September. Even so, though, England was a temperate place. A little summer rain was not uncommon. However, since it _was_ summer, that meant everyone had free schedules. Not to say they didn't have any work to do. It was _still_ a school for geniuses, after all. Each student had summer homework, and it was up to them when to do it. Near, being the lone genius he was, finished all the homework within a few weeks. It wasn't hard, but there was a lot of it.

Near had a quick breakfast and brushed his teeth. Then he headed outside. Not a whole lot of people were outside, but that was because most of the orphans slept in during the summer. Near had nothing to stay awake for late at night, and nothing to sleep through early in the morning, so he was usually up before a lot of people.

The few people that were outside, though, gave Near weird looks. Near never went outside. And if he did, it was only because someone had stolen something of his, and he was going to retrieve it. No one stole stuff this early, though, and everyone knew that.

They all watched motionlessly and soundlessly as Near slowly made his way to the base of L's Hill. His eyes trailed up his path and rested on the peak of the massive mound. He had to crane his neck almost all the way back to see the top. That was probably since he was standing so close to it, though.

After a quiet deep breath, Near set foot upon the grassy surface of L's Hill. He took the second step, and felt a bead of sweat begin forming on his forehead. He wasn't actually tired yet, but it was pretty hot for England today. That and Near never went outside. He was very sensitive to the elements.

With every slow, small step Near took, a voice resounded in his head. It was Mello's voice. Mello's voice taunted him. It called him names, and told him he would fail. That he wasn't the best anywhere but in school.

Most people would take that as a challenge and would propel them to achieve their goal. Near was not most people, and the words made him feel stupid for even trying. Even if he were to make it to the top, what would that solve? Would Mello just accept Near with open arms? That was very doubtful. This would solve nothing.

Near gave up.

He went back to his room and built a city out of dice. Mello came in a few hours later, knocked over the city, and beat Near up once again. Things hadn't changed a bit. As Near was laying on the floor, broken and covered in dice, he scolded himself. He should have gone to the top. It was better than trying nothing.

This was definitely the last straw, though. He'd decided he'd had enough punishment for a lifetime. Even drunken, homeless, old war veterans didn't deserve this.

After he had picked himself up and started rebuilding his tower, Linda came in and talked to Near for a while. She left before dinner and Near was left alone.

Near was happy when she left. It was always so quiet when Near was alone. As if the world weren't as terrible a place as it actually was. Like the eye of the storm. Everywhere around the tornado or hurricane was utter chaos, but in the center, it was sunny and tranquil.

That night, Near was surrounded by his revived city. It looked exactly the same as before Mello destroyed it, except it was complete this time. It was only 10PM, but Near decided to go to sleep. He didn't have anything better to do, after all. The lights were off, the door was closed, it was nice and quiet, and…

--

"Hello."

The voice startled Near out of his light sleep. He instantly became aware of another being in his bed. A hand covered his eyes just as he was about to turn around and see who it was. Near was about to shout, but he was shushed before he could open his mouth.

"Quiet, now, dear," the voice whispered. "You wouldn't want to wake the others, now would you?"

Near tried to guess who it was, but whispers were nearly impossible to distinguish as one person's. Whispers made voices airy and fragmented. The only thing he could say to describe the voice was that it was a normal pitch. It wasn't a shrill pitch, nor a low one.

"Who are you?" Near asked.

"Would you like to know," the voice taunted.

"Is it Mello?"

"If I were Mello, you'd be on the floor thrashing in pain."

The hand over Near's eyes was cold and he could tell it was skin, which didn't exactly help him decipher who it was.

"What are you doing in my bed?"

"Can't you just enjoy it? I doubt you'll ever get anyone else in your bed."

"Answer the question."

"I heard what you did today, little Near. I have to say I'm impressed. I didn't expect you to do that."

"And by 'what I did today' you are referring to…"

"To starting to climb L's Hill, silly! You should have gone all the way, little sheep. But I guess it was a good start."

"That doesn't answer why you're here."

"To congratulate you, of course!"

Near was pulled against his trespasser.

"There's also one other thing." The voice breathed lightly into Near's ear.

"…Oh…?" Near tried to ignore the hot breath in his ear, but he couldn't help but feel nervous and blush a little. None of that was broadcasted in his voice, though.

"I want to encourage you to go further next time. Reach the top."

Near let out a small, unintentional whine as he felt a tongue against his ear.

"Don't get too worked up, little sheep. I won't rape you."

"I'm not scared," Near stated firmly, angry at himself for letting such a pathetic sound cross his lips. Even Mello couldn't provoke that sound when he was beating the crap out of Near.

"Of course, of course. How silly of me to think you were _scared_," the voice teased.

Near opened his mouth to speak, but the voice continued.

"Now, go back to sleep, little Near."

Near's eyelids fell almost instantly of their own accord.

--

Near woke with a start. He looked wildly around the room to find that it was day, and that his room was empty, except for his dice city. Had last night…? Had that been a dream? It felt so real, and it was so strange.

Near took a deep breath and shook his head slowly. It _had_ to be just a dream. He didn't know anyone that would sneak into his room and speak to him that way. It was just a dream. It was dumb to think otherwise.

It was 8:24AM, and sunny out. Near decided he might as well try climbing L's Hill again, since he had nothing to lose. But he had breakfast and brushed his teeth first. When he finally got to the bottom of the hill, he couldn't get that strange dream out of his head.

Today, Near's pace was a bit faster. Mello's voice still resounded in his head, but this time, the voice from last night battled with Mello's voice. It was hard to ignore, which made his trek a bit harder. It wasn't as hot as it was yesterday, so Near was alright in that department, and that made it a bit easier.

When Near reached halfway up the hill, he began hearing menacing growls coming from the trees that surrounded the hill. They sounded kind of like wolves, but Near couldn't be too sure. They didn't exactly teach survival training at Wammy's.

Wolves lived in England, and Near knew that. What Near didn't know was how big the forest outside of Wammy's was. Or if any wolves lived there. It was possible, but right now, Near wasn't thinking about the possibilities of whether wolves lived outside of Wammy's or not. He was thinking about the possibilities of being eaten.

When the growls got closer, Near decided it was time to abandon ship. He sprinted all the way down the hill and all the way back to his room, not stopping once to look back. In retrospect, running from a wolf was probably not a good idea. But since he managed to get away, he supposed it didn't matter.

The same thing as yesterday happened again. Mello beat him up, tore his stuffed animals, and left. Linda came and talked to him and left an hour later. Near played with toy soldiers. It was all the same with subtle variations.

At the very end of the day, it was the same, too. The door was closed. The lights were off. Near drifted off.

--

"Why, hello, Near."

Near awoke again with a start. Hands were put over his eyes and he was shushed again.

"So you're back," Near murmured less than enthusiastically.

"Is that any way to greet me?"

"Would you like me to kiss your cheeks and say 'Welcome home, master?'" Near asked sarcastically.

"See? That's more like it!"

"I'd rather not kiss your cheeks, thank you," Near declined tersely. "Your reason for your visit?"

"Hmmm, I heard what you did today, too."

"Congratulations to me, again?"

"Of course! When good little boys do what they're supposed to, they deserve praise."

"I didn't make it to the top," Near reported.

"I know, but I forgive you. Even good little sheepies like you mess up sometimes."

This time, Near was ready when lips came into contact with his cheek. While he didn't like it, it didn't bother him like it had last night. "And I'm a sheep?"

"You're not _a_ sheep, silly."

"Good."

"You're _my_ sheep."

Near groaned internally. He didn't like that idea one bit. "Why, thanks…I'm SO happy."

"You don't sound that happy, dear lamb."

"Is there anything else you want? If not, then get out."

"Now that's not very nice. I worked so hard to get here, and now you don't even appreciate it? Honestly, it's not common courtesy to shoo away a guest like that. I _did_ come all the way here to see you, didn't I?

"I can't say that I enjoy your company much."

"Someone never learned manners, now did they?"

"I'm so sorry that I'm not worthy of being your sheep anymore. I was always hopeless at manners." Near wondered how he could wake up from this dream.

"No, no, that's not it at all. You're still my sheep. Your ill-manners come with the package. And speaking of package…"A hand snaked down Near's body and to his crotch.

Near tried to prepare himself as much as he could, his eyes shut tightly. After a moment, though, he realized that nothing happened.

The voice stifled a small chuckle and the hand retreated. "You thought I was gonna go for it, didn't you, little lamb?"

Near didn't respond, he was too relieved and accidentally let out a relaxed breath.

"You didn't want it?"

"I'd rather not be raped by a voice."

"A voice? Hm, you should give me a name. I don't want to be just "a voice" to you. So give me a name, okay, Near?"

"Why would I give a dream a name? That's completely irrational."

"You think I'm just a dream?"

"Yes. It's ridiculous to think that you are real."

The voice was quiet for a long time, as if it were thinking, but that wasn't possible. Characters in dreams don't think.

"Alright. I'll accept it for now. Just think of me as a dream. Now back to sleep you go, little lamb."

Near was out almost instantly, once again.

--

Near awoke with a start, again. Just like he had the morning before. He couldn't believe he'd had the same dream two days in a row. Normally, he didn't dream at all. Perhaps it was the stress of the whole L's Hill business. It was probably exciting his imagination into doing something. Though Near had to admit that his dreams were extremely strange.

Usually dreams, whether they were Near's or Mello's, had some sort of plotline, theme, or symbolism. Near couldn't think of any theme, plotline, or symbolism at all. Of course, Near was always different from people, so why shouldn't his dreams be, too?

Today was rainy. Even if Near wanted to climb L's Hill again, he couldn't. The weather didn't match the terms. So he ate breakfast and stayed in his room. A few hours later, he heard shouting nearby. It was strange to hear shouting in Wammy's, so Near took a peek outside his door. In the hallway adjacent to the one his room was located, he heard Mello yelling at someone. Interested, Near listened closer.

"What the hell were you thinking, Matt?!" The blond raged. "No, don't answer that! I don't even want to hear it!"

"But Mello-!" Matt began to protest.

"No, stop talking! You're such a fucking idiot! Can't you do _anything_ right?!"

"I can explain!"

"Yeah, I haven't heard that one before!"

Near could just imagine Mello rolling his eyes as he yelled.

"Look, I can, okay?!"

"Matt, I seriously don't want to hear it!" Mello sighed. "Now, answer me this: are you _sure_ he didn't catch you?" He was calmer.

"Yes. I'm absolutely _positive_."

"Fine. I believe you. Now get the fuck out of my sight."

Near quickly closed the door as he heard Mello's footsteps grow louder, coming down Near's hall. The albino pressed his ear to the door, to hear if anything else was said. When Mello passed by Near's door, he kicked it hard, making it hit Near's head.

"Fuckin' bastard!"

Near couldn't be sure if Mello was talking to Matt or to Near. Whichever it was, Near was just glad Mello hadn't opened the door and beat him up.

Another pair of footsteps began getting closer, though these ones were softer and less rapid. They were probably Matt's. Near wondered what Matt did to set Mello off like that. Matt's footsteps followed a different path, though. Instead of passing Near's door, they stopped right in front of it.

A few knocks sounded from the white door.

Near stood and answered it. To find it was, indeed, Matt. He looked tired and upset, though.

"You didn't happen to hear that, did you?" A sheepish grin was on his face.

Near thought a moment then replied. "I heard shouting, but I didn't hear what it was about."

"Oh, okay. That's good, I guess. Anyways, so Mello's pretty pissed at me…" The redheads voice trailed off as he looked down at the floor.

"Is there a reason for that?"

"Uhhh, I'd rather not say…" Matt looked up at Near after a pause. "Is it okay if I hang with you here?"

Near hadn't expected that. Usually Matt helped Mello beat the crap out of him, but Matt was always nicer. Near didn't dislike him, but he didn't really like him, either. He was neutral.

"I suppose. Though I would prefer it if we met on friendlier terms. I'd rather not be attacked."

"Huh?" Matt adjusted his goggles as if confused. "Oh, well, Mello usually does the beating, I just follow, and today he'd probably beat me up instead, so… yeah…"

"Alright, then you may come in." Near stepped aside and let the redhead into the room. Near closed the door behind his guest and sat on the floor to continue with his L puzzle.

"So is there a reason you decided to visit? Also, please do not say that it's 'Mess With Near Day,' as I've heard that too often as it is."

"Well, the only friend I have is Mello. I figure the second closest thing I have to a friend is you. We probably know each other better than the other kids at the orphanage know us," Matt responded as he watched Near finished his puzzle. Near wanted to disagree with Matt's reasoning, for nobody really understood Near, but he kept quiet.

The two talked for a while. When Matt got bored, he began stealing Near's toys and made them do lewd things with each other while Near watched. Near wasn't very happy, but having the most fun he remembered having at the same time. Matt was just laughing.

After a couple hours or so, Matt said he should probably get back to Mello, since he might've calmed down. Near was a little reluctant to say good bye, since he'd never really "hung out" with anyone before, but he said good bye with a straight face and Matt left without any hesitation.

Near was a little glad that Matt left, though. Now he could be alone. Well, at least until Linda showed up a little while later. The rest of the day dwindled away and Near found himself lying in bed again about to go to sleep. He really hoped he didn't have that dream again as he drifted into sleep.

--

Near awoke the next morning and was glad that he hadn't dreamt of that voice again. It made him feel strange in that dream when the voice was there. Like the voice gave off a stalker-y vibe. Near forgot about the voice when he realized it was sunny outside and was still only 9AM.

Today was definitely the day he would make it to the top of L's Hill. He was actually kind of excited today, knowing that he _had_ to make it today. He took a shower, even, to commemorate this day. He ate breakfast and brushed his teeth abnormally energetic. Then he headed outside.

The other children had gotten used to Near trying to get to the top of L's Hill, so no one stared anymore, except for those curious to see whether he made it or not. Near didn't mind either way. He was too focused on his goal to care.

At a moderate pace, Near made his way up the hill. He had never realized how big the hill actually was until now. Sweat was forming on his face and forehead. The growls from the other day began again, but Near ignored them. He absolutely _had_ to get to the top of the hill, no excuses. The growling died down and Near was relieved.

The peak of the hill was probably 30 yards away from Near at this point, and he sprinted the rest of the way. He was very anxious to see what was on the top of the hill. Imagine Near's fascination when he saw a large tent sitting on the flat area on the top of the hill. Not really knowing the appropriate way to go about entering the tent, he simply zipped the door open and looked inside.

Upon entering the tent, he saw Matt sitting at a square table in the middle of the tent and Mello standing behind the table eating a chocolate bar. The two older boys looked at Near, shock apparent on their faces. It didn't take Mello long to realize how he felt about it, as his face quickly contorted with rage.

"Near, you made it after all these years!" Matt welcomed Near with a grin.

Near couldn't help but smile back, even though his smile was small.

"What… the… FUCK?!" Mello growled. "Why the fuck did you come here, dipshit!?"

"You told me that if I came to the top of L's Hill on a sunny day before noon, you would stop beating me up," Near calmly replied.

"Yeah, Mello! You said it yourself. Lots of times, for many years." Matt agreed with Near.

"Hell no! I never said that!" Mello shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Near.

"Come on, Mello. The kid came all the way up here. Are you seriously saying that you were just kidding? He should be, like, part of the club, now, right?" Matt stood, trying to reason with Mello.

"He's not in our damn club, Matt! It's just you and me! The two M's! No room for an N! I simply won't allow this!" Mello practically screeched, taking quick, violent steps towards Near.

"Wait! Mello!" Matt stood in front of Near, protecting him.

"Out of the way, Matt!" Mello pushed Matt to the floor and grabbed Near by the collar of his pajama tops. He hauled the albino over to the end of the peak of L's Hill. Then, without a second thought, he shoved Near over the side of the massive structure.

Near was furious. He would _not_ let Mello best him like that! He was better than Mello! And more importantly, Near didn't deserve this. He now saw that he had been wrong to let Mello take advantage of him. So, refusing to lose to Mello, whom he beat in several ways everyday, Near grabbed onto Mello's arm, and yanked him down with him.

The two tumbled violently down the steep hill and landed in a pile at the bottom. Matt came running after, worriedly shouting after the two.

Near felt terrible, though he was glad he had fallen on top of Mello, and not the other way around. He was sure that he had broken at least three bones during the tumble. Mello was writhing beneath him, gasping for air; Near had probably knocked the wind out of him.

"Holy shit! Near, Mello, are you okay?!" Matt shouted at the two. The other kids outside began crowding around the two injured bodies.

"I'll go get Roger!" One of the kids shouted and ran off to find their caretaker.

A few minutes later of the kids all panicking and Near and Mello wracked with pain, Roger rushed out to see what the problem was.

"What happened here?!" The old man demanded.

"Well, it's like this, see, we were at the top of L's Hill, Mello and I. So Near showed up and then Mello pushed him off the edge, but Near grabbed onto Mello and they both fall down and go boom!" Matt flailed his arms wildly about.

"Well, let's get some stretchers for them. Matt, come with me."

Both Matt and Roger left to go get some stretchers from the nurse's office.

Near looked over at Mello, groaning with pain. The blond was panting loudly and glaring at Near as he struggled to fight back tears.

"Well," Near grunted, "it looks like you finally got what you deserve."

"You fell too- nngh!- dumbass!" Mello yelled.

"You're in more pain than I am, so I win." Near decided.

Mello swatted at Near weakly, but he stopped when he realized his arm was broken, or sprained, at best. The two grunted and groaned with pain as they were carried to the nurse's office to be checked out.

As it turned out, Near walked away with a sprained ankle, two broken fingers, and an _extremely_ sore neck. Mello wasn't so lucky. He had a broken arm, a broken leg, a couple of broken ribs from when Near fell on him at the end, and a broken collar bone, also from Near.

They both had to spend the night in the nurse's office in case something happened, and Near took advantage of that time to gloat to Mello. Mello tried to yell, but with his broken ribs and collar bone, it was too much strain, so he silently took it, glaring at Near.

"Once I get better, you're totally dead!" Mello threatened through gritted teeth.

"No, I don't think so. Do you think _L_ would go back on an agreement?" Near asked. He knew he had won. He always won. Well, from now on, anyways. He would refuse to let Mello beat him at anything.

--

The next day, Near was released with the warning of using his fingers and his neck and also with some crutches. Mello had to stay for a little while longer, but Near was okay with that.

Linda visited Near almost all day, and Near quickly grew annoyed with her. She forced him to stay in bed and kept offering to fluff his pillows, or get him some food. Near was on the typical, Greek one-meal-a-day type diet. He honestly didn't really eat anything much after breakfast.

When Linda finally left for the night, Near sighed in relief. He didn't know how much Linda he could handle. Luckily, she had already turned off his light and closed his door for him, so he didn't have to worry about that. That was probably the only thing Near needed her to do for him.

Near relaxed in his bed, his eyelids drooping with sleep. It was such a cozy bed, and he had put Mello in his place. The light was off, the door was closed…

--

"Hello, my little sheep."

Near awoke to the voice with the start. It had been a day since he dreamed about the voice. "You're not going to cover my eyes?" the albino wondered.

"I think I'll let you see me. This isn't a dream, you know." The voice wasn't whispering this time. That was weird.

"No whispering, either? And I beg to differ. If this weren't a dream you wouldn't be," Near turned over in his bed to find Matt staring at him with a smug expression on his face. His goggles were off, for a change, "Matt."

"Yep, I'm Matt. I've been Matt all along. And, no, this isn't a dream. You're just being silly, my little lamb." Matt grinned and placed his hand on Near's cheek.

"If this weren't a dream, you wouldn't call me your 'lamb.'" Near brushed away Matt's hand.

Matt sighed and rolled his eyes. Then he pressed his lips to Near's softly.

Near was prepared for this kind of crude thing and it didn't faze him at all.

"Still think I'm a dream?" the redhead asked.

"Yes, I do. If you _weren't_ a dream, you would definitely not do that."

"But didn't you _feel_ that?" Matt looked exasperated.

"Yes, but a lot of dreams feel realistic. Watch, I'll show you this is a dream." Near grabbed Matt by his neck with his good fingers. He pulled the redhead on top of him and began kissing him.

Matt didn't argue, and easily kissed back. Their kiss ended before it got too intimate.

"See? If this weren't a dream, I would never do that," Near informed Matt.

"Hmmm, I _kind_ of see it. Can you show me again, please? Maybe this time with some tongue?" Matt wondered.

Near sighed and rolled his eyes. "I suppose."

The two began making out and getting more intimate by holding each other close, and letting an occasional moan slip out. They stopped when Near felt a sharp pain on his shoulder.

"Ow," he said simply, and stopped running his fingers through Matt's hair. "What was that supposed to be?"

"I pinched you. Did it hurt?" Matt wondered.

"Yes, it did," Near answered.

"Then you're not dreaming. This is real. I could slap you if you still don't believe me."

Near's eyes widened and then narrowed again. "Slap me, then. Go ahead."

Matt shrugged and slapped Near without hesitation.

The albino twitched as it made contact. It hurt. He wasn't asleep. This wasn't a dream. He had just made out with Matt. "No… No, this, it, it simply cannot be!"

"Oh it be, alright!" Then Matt started laughing as he explained. "That's what Mello got mad at me about a couple days ago. I told him I kept sneaking into your room while you were asleep and he flipped! And that's how I pulled it off, and when I was done talking to you, I just knocked you out with some chloroform! Messing with Near is fun!" Matt couldn't stop giggling.

"Why on earth would you lick my ear, reach down… there, and then willingly make out with me?!" Near was flustered. That was a hard thing to make happen.

"'Cause you're so cute and I've liked you since, like, forever!" Matt kissed Near's cheek.

"No, stop!" Near violently pushed Matt away, hurting his two broken fingers in the process. He gave an unintentional whimper and held his hand close to his chest. "I hate you." Near seethed, looking up at Matt.

"Oh… okay…" Matt looked down at himself sheepishly. "I'm sorry." He got off the younger boy and got to the floor. Then he walked towards the door. Before he opened it, he gave a sad smile and waved.

"Wait," Near couldn't help but correct what he had said. "I don't hate you. But you manipulated me."

"Yeah, I guess I did. And it's okay if you hate me, I understand." Matt scratched the back of his head and opened the door.

"Matt, I suppose if you really want to, I'd allow you to sleep with me." Near cautiously offered. He usually wasn't so generous to anyone, nor did he ever feel guilty about being rude to people. But Matt struck a chord with him. Besides, one night couldn't hurt.

"Yay!" Matt cheered, closing the door. "I get to fuck Near!" The redhead hopped into the bed next to Near and held him like the albino was his wife.

"I never said that. I said you could sleep with me, but I meant sleeping in the same bed," Near corrected Matt.

"Why do you have to kill my fun?" Matt whined, kissing Near's forehead.

"So why did you beat the crap out of me if you 'like' me?" Near asked after a while.

"I was acting, silly. If Mello found out, then he'd kill me, so this is our little secret." Matt grinned.


End file.
